October 11 declared day of mourning for victims in Batumi building collapse

Flags on all government buildings in Georgia will be flying at half mast on Monday for the victims of a residential building collapse in the Black Sea town of Batumi, Georgia.

Sending his condolences to the families of those who have died in Batumi, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has declared October 11 a day of mourning. 

My deep condolences to the families of those who died in the tragic incident in Batumi. The whole Georgia mourns for this terrific tragedy”, PM Garibashvili wrote on Facebook.

He said everyone responsible for the incident will be brought to justice, while the families which have suffered from the incident will receive the state support. 

Three people, including the owner of the ground floor, identified only as Z.B. and born in 1975, have been detained for carrying out illegal construction works violating the rules of safety.

The Georgian Interior Ministry has released a video footage of the detention in Batumi:

Based on the preliminary information the construction works damaged the retaining walls of the seven-storey residential building, leading to the collapse of one of its large sections.

The rescue operation, which has been underway for more than 24 hours, continues to find a man.